I step out of the Village Starbucks, iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte in hand. Before I start walking, I press play on my autumn-themed playlist. “Cold Coffee” by Ed Sheeran sounds through my headphones as I head toward my house, soaking in the ever-so-slight breeze in the air. I get home, head to my room and turn on “Gilmore Girls” — picking up right where I left off as I cringe at Rory and Dean’s relationship and feel my soft spot for Paris Geller grow. It’s the perfect fall moment.

As we settle into autumn, I know I’m not alone in the timing of my “Gilmore Girls” rewatch. While Stars Hollow’s cozy atmosphere makes it perfect for fall, it’s not the only reason Rory Gilmore rules this time of year. With autumn’s arrival comes Libra season, and Rory might be the most iconic Libra queen there is.

When I first learned that Rory is a Libra — her Oct. 8 birthday is stated explicitly on the show — it didn’t exactly click with me. She seems like a quintessential Virgo, obsessed with studying and having things in order. But the more I watch, the more I change my mind.

Before I go further — and I might get hate mail for saying this — I’ve always been a Rory apologist. Maybe it’s because I watched the show for the first time when I was starting college, but it makes sense that she would take a break from Yale when, for her entire life, her family outwardly placed her self-worth on her academics. A lot of her character is simply the product of her environment.

But, nonetheless, Rory does have a clear need to please everyone. She stayed with Dean even after she started falling for Jess because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. She rarely talks back to her mom or grandparents, even though she often has a clear reason to. Libras crave balance in any way possible, and Rory is an evident manifestation of that. She excels at it. 

Libra’s symbol is balanced scales, inspired by the ancient Romans’ physical manifestation of justice. During the autumn equinox, the sun shines on exactly half of the Earth. The universe is telling us to find balance right now in a multitude of ways.

However, finding this balance may be difficult because six celestial objects are currently in retrograde. Retrogrades — when a planet has the illusion of orbiting backward — can cause issues in the areas of life that planet rules. At this moment, the planets and asteroids of transformation, intuition, ambition, rebellion, vulnerability and good fortune are in retrograde. Yikes.

But, at least for me, Libra season always feels like a fresh start — a transition into the cozier times of the year when we crave simplicity, introspection and self-growth. Libra’s values make even a turbulent retrograde period feel more peaceful.

Since Libra is an air sign, Libra suns find their place in the world through communication — whether it’s gossiping, writing or being active on social media. As a cardinal sign, they’re natural leaders. Whether they know it or not, people look up to and are drawn to them.

Now back to Rory: an aspiring journalist who everyone in her town idolizes. She honestly couldn’t be more of a Libra. As much as that can hurt her sometimes, she does have an impressive ability to juggle her academics and relationships.

Without getting into too much technical astrology talk, the best advice I can give this Libra season is to embody Rory Gilmore. Find joy in life’s simple pleasures, whether that’s autumn-themed Trader Joe’s snacks or trying a new coffee shop. Enjoy the crispness of the air before everyone gets sick of it. Focus on what’s important to you and try your best to create harmony in this tumultuous time — just beware of taking it too far, as Rory often does.

If you are interested in the technicalities, take a look to see where Libra shows up in your chart. You may see balance restored in those areas. For example, I’m a Libra Mercury (which may explain my sympathy for Rory). Already, I’ve found it easier to respond to text messages and I’ve been getting over my months-long writer’s block because Mercury rules communication.

Also, look at what house Libra sits in for you. If it’s in your tenth house, for example, which rules career and social status, you may find that an improved work-life balance will make you happier right now.

Libra season lasts until Oct. 23, after which the dramatic, intense Scorpio season takes hold. So treasure the next month of Stars Hollow “la la la” vibes while you can. 

Jenna Peterson is a senior writing about anything and everything astrology related in her column “Written in the Stars.” She is also the editor-in-chief of the Daily Trojan.